Michael kaufmans



(Ne Model.)

'M. KAUPMANN.

LOCK FOR FIRE ARMS. No. 261,555... Patented Ju1y25, 1882 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL KAUFMANN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

LOCK FOR FIRE-ARMS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 261,555, dated July 25, 1882.

Application filed April 20, 1882. (No model.) Patented in Bel October 21, 1880, No. 4,302 in France April To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL KAUFMANN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in London, in the Kingdom of England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Locks for Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of aseotion of a revolver, showing all the parts of the lock in their respective places, the hammer resting in its normal position. Fig. 2 is a similarview, the hammer being at full-cock. Fig. 3 is a side view and plan of the central lever. Fig. 4 is the lock-spring in side, end, and plan view.

My present invention relates to looks for fire-arms, and is specially designed for use in revolvers, although not confined in its applicability thereto.

As indicating more particularly the nature of my invention, and in order to obviate in this instrument a detailed description of the construction and operation of certain parts of the look, I state that the present invention is an improvement upon that for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted to me and J ulien Warnant, February 18, 1879, No. 212,473. Like the aforesaid patented lock, the present one consists, if applied to revolvers, of five parts, or if used on other forms of percussion fire-arms of four, and the hammer, trigger, and pawl which I use are of the same construction and their functions are the same as those of the corresponding parts in the patent referred to.

My present improvements consist in certain features of construction of the central lever and of the lock-spring. In consequence of the simplicity of form of the central lever, it is easy to manufacture and at a greatly-lessened cost of production. The lock-spring is stronger, and,in consequence of the projection at the point producing the rebound of the hammer, possesses greater leverage for effecting the rebound. At the same time the pull of the trigger in self-cocking the weapon is equalized, permitting the use of a powerful spring, so

gium October 15, 1878, and August 3, 1880, No. 52,206 in England 20, 1881, No. 142,426, and in Italy February 11, 1882, No. 13,834.

that the force of the blow of the hammer may obviate misfires, the pressure of the pawl upon the cylinder-ratchet is modified in an important manner, the thrust of the lock-spring and reaction of the parts upon which it bears are brought into the same plane, and the return of the trigger to its normal position is sure and brisk.

In the drawings, A indicates the hammer; B, the trigger; U, the pawl; D, the central lever; E, the lock-spring; F, the arm of the lower leaf of the lock-spring.

The main frame of the weapon is provided with two pivotsthe pivot to for the hammer and central lever and the pivot 01 for the trigger, the said trigger having a projection, e, perforated atf to receive the pivot of the pawl.

The central lever, D, is of simple construction, being a steel bar having in one end a perforation, 1, whereby it is mounted upon the hammer-pivot (t. The bar or central lever, D, at its projection m, rests on a shoulder or hearing in the countersunk part of the pawl and holds it in proper position. That part of the upper edge of the central lever on which the stud or lug of the arm of lock-sprin g bears should be very slightly above a line drawn from the bearing upon the pawl to the center of the hammer-pivot.

The lock-spring E consists of two leaves, of which the upper leaf at 0 bears upon the hammer at b. The lower leaf has a. projection or arm, F, countersunk at q for the passage of the lever, and is provided with a log or stud, p, which rests on the upper edge of the central lever, D, at n, in close proximity to the front of the pivot a. The end or part 1" of the lower leaf of the spring I make of considerable thickness, and produce a bearing at s to engage with the tail-piece of the hammer, by means of which I obtain an increase of leverage to efi'ect the rebound of the hammer, and am enabled to allow the two leaves of the lock-spring to be brought closely together when at full-cock,-so that the. spring may impart its full force to the hammer in its descent on the cartridge.

The operation of the lock is as follows: Upon cooking the weapon by the thumb the projection 0 of the hammer, which lies between the the lug of the pawl and the projection e of the trigger, engages with the latter, which in its upward movement carries with it the pawl and the central lever, D, thereby compressing the lock-spring E and effecting the rotation of the cylinder. Finally, the tooth otthe trigger falls into the notch ot' the hammer, and the weapon is full cocked, as shown at Fig. 2. When the trigger is retracted the hammer becomes disengaged and falls. Upon releasing the trigger the pressure of the lock-spring E, delivered through the medium of the central lever, D, acting upon the pawl,carries it downward, and with it the piojection e of the trigger. Goincidently with the descent of the pawl the lower leaf of the lock-spring E descends, and its hearing s, pressing upon the tail-piece of the hammer, effects the rebound of the hammer,where by its projection c is carried upward until the lug of the pawl passes it, when the pawl tilts, and its lug, coming under the projection c of the hammer, locks the hammer, as shown in Fig. 1.

The self-cocking of the weapon is efi'ectcd thus: The trigger, being retracted, lifts the pawl, and thelug ofthe latter engages with the projection c of the hammer, which is thereby raised until the said lug passes from under the said projection, when the hammer, being re 1eased,falls. Duringtheliltingofthepawliteugages withthe ratchet and rotates the cylinder, and at the same time the pawl carries up with it the central lever, D,which compresses the lockspring E, the bearing 8 of the lower leaf of the said spring being then sufticiently raised, so as not to impede the fall of the hammer. After the descent of the hammer the trigger is released, when the rebound and locking of the hammer are efi'eoted, as already described.

The difference between the construction oi the arm E described in Patent l\'o. 212,473, of 1879, and the central lever, D, herein described, is very material. In the former the lock-spring bearing is below the line joining the pivot and the bearing upon the pawl, and the end of the arm of that spring slides upon the lug of the central piece or arm,E. 1n the present case the arc traversed by the point of contact of the lock-spring and the central lever, D, is so small that it may be considered equal to its chord, and the pressure of the spring is in the same plane as the points of resistance, and remains substantially constant, almost entirely obviating sliding friction and wear.

When used in a firm-arm not a revolver the pawl is a superfluity, and might be either dispensed with entirely, the central lever being made to bear directly on the trigger, or, if the self-cocking feature is desired, the pawl might be cutofl'just above its pivot.

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the hammer, trigger, and pawl. a lever mounted upon the hammerpivot and resting upon the pawl, and a. mainspring one arm of which engages with the hammer and the other rests upon the upper edge of the lever, whereby the latter is actuated with a thrust in a vertical plane passing through the pivot and the bearing on the pawl, as set forth.

2. In combination with the hammer,trigger, and central lever, the lock-spring having iateral stud 19, adapted to rest upon the central lever, D, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL KAUFMANN.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM EDW'ARD GEDGE, 11 l Vellington Street, Strand, London, England.

LENNOX FORSTER SYKEs,

Clerk 10 the above. 

